H.R. 479: North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act of 2017

H.R. 479 requires the Secretary of State to determine whether the government of North Korea meets the criteria of a state sponsor of terrorism. The legislation directs the Secretary to issue a report to the appropriate congressional committees not later than 90 days after enactment.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1988 because of its alleged involvement in the 1983 Rangoon bombing and the 1987 bombing of a South Korean airliner. On October 11, 2008, the United States removed North Korea from its list of states that sponsor terrorism after the government agreed to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Since then, North Korea has failed to live up to its commitments, has materially supported terrorist attacks by Hezbollah, is responsible for cyber-attacks against nuclear facilities in South Korea and the attack on Sony Pictures, and allegedly is responsible for the poisoning and killing of Kim Jong-nam with VX nerve gas.